Cot-retaining device for ambulances



- Dec. 113, 1923.. 31,477,8115

D. DENNING COT RETAINING DEVICE FOR AMBULANCES Filed Oct. 26. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dawn 0 $601222 ?7- Dec. 18, 11923.

1,477,835 D. DENNING Y COT RETAINING DEVICE FOR AMBULANGES Filed Oct. 26. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented li es. ltd, 1223.

DAVE) DENNING, OF MAR-Lilli,

COT-RETAINING DEVIGE Application filed Cctober 26,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID DENNING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marlin, in the county of Falls and State of Texas, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Cot-Retaining Devices for Ambulances, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to attachments to ambulances, and specifically to means for detachably and automatically locking a cot therein.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of means, carried by the ambu lance, whereby the cot may be thrust into the ambulance and automatically secured adjacent a side thereof, against any movement laterally or longitudinally of the ambulance, while the latter is making the run to its destination.

It is a well known fact that the present practice, in case of sickness or injury, is to place the patient on the ambulance cot, de-

posit the cot in the ambulance, and to either not lock the cot at all against relative movement, or for the attendants to secure it manually. If the cot is not locked against movement the rapid travel of the ambuo lance is very liable to cause additional injury to the patient; if the cot is secured against movement, by any of the methods employed prior to my invention, considerable time is taken up in this operation,

causing delay in reaching the hospital, often to the great detriment of the patient.

The purpose of my invention is two-fold; to reduce to the minimum the delay in transporting the patient to the hospital, or

other place for expert treatment, and to afford the maximum of comfort and ease to the patient while the trip is being made.

Other objects and purposes of the invention will be made clear in the following specifications, the means for accomplishing them being shown in the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a perspective View showing 5 the interior of an ambulance equipped with my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical plan view showing a side of an ambulance with the cot locked in position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing my nntrinnnnons.

Serial no. 597,059.

invention applied to an ambulance having a different interior configuration.

l ig. 4 1S a section taken through one of the lockingdevices, and

lug. o is a side elevatlon of the other ice ing device.

Now referring specifically to the dravings, A indicates an ambulance in which there is a downwardly sloping side wall. 1, and a straight lower wall 2, which meets the flOor 3.

Secured to the lower wall 2, as clearly shown, are the co-operating locking devices or detents i and 5, shown more specifically in Figs. and 5. The detent 41- comprise a body portion having an outer and rearwardly extending hook-shaped member 6, forming a rounded recess 7, for the reception of a cot leg, as will be hereinafter explained.

The body portion of the detent 4 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot, leading into a cavity 8, formed in the body of the detent, and, adjacent the front end of said slot is pivotally mounted, at 9, a latch 10-. As clearly shown in Fig. 4, the latch 10 is provided at its rear end with an integral tongue 11, adapted to contact a shoulder 12 termed on the body of the dctent 4-, and to thereby limit the movement of the latch.

A flat spring 13 is rigidly secured to a shoulder formed-near the forward end of the bottom of the body of the detent l. Said spring 13 extends towards the rear of the detent, and over the slot therein, and in contact with the interior face of the latch 10, the rear end of said s 'iring being in sliding contact with said face of the latch during reciprocation of the latter. It i to be here noted that the latch 10 is wider at its rear or free end than at its front end, and that the width of the extreme rear end is substantially equal to the depth of the. cavity 8, plus the depth of the slot in which the latch is pivoted. The structure is so designed and proportioned therefore that, when the latch 10 is pressed outwardly under the influence of the spring 18, the em treme outer corner 14% of the latch is immediately adjacent the hook member 6, and the tongue 11 in contact with the shoulder 12. When the resistance of the spring 13 is overcome however, and the latch 10 pressed inwardly, the limit of its inward movement is indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 4, the outer edge 15 of the latch coinciding with the top of the slot in which the latch is pivoted.

The top surface 16, of the front end of the detent at, is inclined upwardly to meet the inclined edge 15 of the latch when the latter is in its locking position, the extreme front edge 17 of the detent being rounded or beveled for a purpose to be hereinafter ex lained.

The interior wall of the rounded recess 7, and the rear face of the latch 10, are covered with leather or rubber 18, or with any other suitable shock absorbing and sounddeadening material.

The detent 5 is formed exactly like the detent 4i, wit-h the exception that it is not equipped with the latch 10 and the spring Consequently it needs no slot for the reception of the latch, nor shoulders for the tongue 11 and the spring 13.

The detents are preferably secured in proper position by means of screws passing through apertures in each end of the detents.

The cot here shown is of a specific type, but it is to be clearly understood that any type of cot. chair or bed may be used if pro vided with legs which will enter the recesses 7.

In the practical operation of the invention, the patient is placed upon the cot B, and the cot so moved that its front leg 7) will be pressed as closely as possible against the wall 2 of the ambulance A, between the detents a and As soon as this contact is made the rear end of the cot is swung to the left until the leg 6 engages the wall 2 in front of the detent at. The cot is then pushed towards the front of the ambulance, and the parts are so proportioned and positioned that the leg I) will enter the recess 7 in the detent 5, and will be held against lateral movement. and the leg 0 will simultaneously enter the recess 7 of the detent l, depressing the latch 10 in this operation, the latch, under influence of the spring; 13, then resuming the position shown in full lines, Fig. 4, and effectively preventing retraction or any lateral movement of the leg 7).

Attention is called to the fact that, once the legs I) and Z) are against the wall 2,

straddling the detent l. the locking action is entirely automatic when the attendant pushes the cot inwardly, The leg I) first strikes the rounded corner 17 of. the deteut 4i, and thence rides over the surface 16. leading to the surface 15 of the latch 10, depresses the latch 10 and enters the recess 7. the

latch returning to lock it in this position. It is obvious therefore that the detents are so constructed as to positively guide the legs I) and I) to their locking positions.

It is clear that. with the legs of the cot held. by the detents as above set forth. the

great danger that cot cannot move under the violent swaying of the ambulance in making the usual quick runs to the hospital. Moreover, since the re ccsses 7 and the rear face of the latch 10 are covered with shock absorbing and sounddeadening material, it is obvious that the transportation of the patient to the place of treatment is practically deprived of that has heretofore been incident to such an undertaking, and that the automatic locking of the cot into proper position prevents the expenditure of valuable time in beginning the trip.

In releasing the cot it is only necessary that the attendant use one finger of one hand to depress the latch 10, against the spring 13, and pull on the cot with the other hand. It is obvious that this easy method of releasing the cot saves much time at the destination, at the end of the trip. The latch is at the rear end of the ambulance, and therefore in most ambulances, within easy reach of the attendant when he is standing on the ground.

The modification shown in Fig. 3 illustrates the invention applied to an ambulance which. is not provided with a sloping side wall, but in which is provided a wheel housing 19 rising from the floor. In order to adapt my invention foruse with ambulances of this character, I provide for each detenta support 20, formed of spring metal and rigidly secured to the wall of'the ambulance. The supports 20 are constructed so as to extend out from the wall a distance equal to the thickness of the housing- 19, making the outer face of the support lie in substantially the same vertical plane as the outer face of the housing. To each bracket 20 is secured a detent, and the method of fastening the cot therein is the same as previously explained. It is to be noted also, that the uti described, or of any such variation, modification or embodiment thereof as fall fairly within the scope of theallowed claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with an ambulance and a cot movable with respect thereto. of means projecting from a side of said ambulance and adapted to automatically lock the cotagainst lateral and longitudinal movement with respect to said ambulance, as the former is moved forward into and along the floor of the latter.

2. In combination with an ambulance and a cot movable With respect thereto, of means projecting from a side of said ambulance and adapted toautomatically engage the cot near each end, and to lock it against movement relative to said ambulance, when the former is moved forward into and along the floor of the latter.

3. In combination with an ambulance and a cot movable with respect thereto, of two rearwardly facing detents projecting in spaced relation from a side of the ambulance and adapted to engage portions of the cot, as the latter is moved forward in the ambulance, and cooperating toprevent lateral movement of the cot with respect to the ambulance, the detent nearest the rear of the ambulance being provided with means adapted to detachably lock the cot against longitudinal movement in either direction, substantially as described.

4. In combination with an ambulance and a cot movable with respect thereto, of means projecting from a side of said ambulance and adapted to automatically lock the cot against movement with respect to said ambulance, as the former is moved forward into and along the floor of the latter, said means serving to guide said cot to its locking position, during the forward movement of the cot.

5. In combination with an ambulance body and a cot movable with respect thereto, of two members secured to a wall of the ambulance and adapted to engage the cot, one member being adapted to prevent lateral movement of the cot, and longitudinal movement thereof in one direction only, and the other member being adapted to prevent lateral movement of the cot and longitudinal m vement thereof in either direction.

6. In combination with an ambulance body and a cot movable with respect thereto, o a detent secured to a wall of said ambulance and provided with a recess adapted to receive a portion of said cot and to prevent movement thereof with respect to said body, and additional means carried by said body normally preventing retraction of said por tion from said recess.

7. In combination with an ambulance and a cot movable with respect thereto, of means carried by said ambulance and adapted to automatically engage the cot near each end, and to lock it against movement relative to said ambulance, when the former is moved forward into the latter and shock absorbing material positioned between said means and said cot, substantially as described.

8 In combination with an ambulance and a cot movable with respect thereto, of detents carried by said ambulance at spaced points and adapted to engage the cot and prevent movement thereof with respect to said ambulance, one of said detents being provided with a locking element adapted to hold the cot in immovable position, both said detents being constructed with surfaces adapted to automatically guide the cot to said locking element.

9. In combination with an ambulance and a cot movable with respect thereto, a detent carried by said ambulance and provided with a recess adapted to receive a portion of said cot, said detent being provided with an element adapted to detachably lock said portion in position, and with an inclined surface adapted, in the forward movement of the cot, to guide the said portion to said recess, substantially as described.

10. A locking device for ambulances, comprising a member adapted to be secured to a wall thereof and extending laterally therefrom, a backwardly facing hook on said member, a pivoted latch carried by said member and adapted to normally close said hook, a spring in engagement with said latch and tending to hold it in closed position, and a surface on said member inclined in substantially the same plane as the plane of the top surface of said latch whereby to operate as a guide to said recess, substantially as described.

11. In combination with an ambulance and a cot movable with respect thereto, of two laterally extending supports secured to a. side wall ofsaid ambulance, and a detent secured to each support, said detents being each adapted to receive a portion of the cot as the latter is moved forward into and along the floor of the ambulance, and coopcrating to automatically lock said cot against lateral and longitudinal movement with respect to the ambulance.

12. In combination with an ambulance and a cot movable with respect thereto, of a let erally extending resilient support secured to a side wall of said ambulance, and a detent secured to said support and adapted, as the cot is moved forward into said ambulance, to receive a portion of said cot and to automatically lock it against movement with respect to said ambulance.

13. In combination with an ambulance and a cot movable with respect thereto, of two brackets extending laterally from a wall of said ambulance, and a detent carried by each bracket, one detent being adapted to receive a portion of the cot as the latter is moved forwardly in said ambulance, and to hold it against lateral movement, the other detent being adapted at the same time to re ceive another portion of said cot and to hold it detachably locked against either lateral or longitudinal movement, substantially as described.

14. In combination With an ambulance provided with a wheel housing rising from the bottom thereof and with a cot movable with respect to said ambulance, a support secured to a Wall of said ambulance and extending laterally therefrom to substantially the vertical plane of the inner surface of said housing, and means carried by said support adapted, in the forward movement of said cot in said ambulance, to receive a portion of said cot and automatically lock it against movement with respect to said ambulance, substantially as described.

15. In combination with an ambulance and a cot movable with respect thereto of two detents carried by the ambulance and a.dapted to automatically engage portions of the cot, longitudinally ofits length, as it is moved into the ambulance, the detent nearestthe front end of the cot being adapted to prevent movement of the latter laterally of the ambulance, and the detent nearest the rear end of the cot being adapted to prevent movement thereof either laterally or longitudinally.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

DAVID DENNING 

